Review: Thai Sushi by KJ awakens the senses

Thai Sushi by KJ on Collier Boulevard, offers a fusion of Japanese sushi and traditional Thai cuisine and surprising – if timed right -- is not the worst spot to watch the sun go down across the bay.

On this particular night, me and my dining companion got things started with a couple of sushi rolls – the summer roll and the kiss roll.  

Summer rolls, aka fresh spring rolls (meaning not fried), are one of my favorite appetizers. They are prepared with rice paper wrappers rolled around fresh vegetables partnered with shrimp, crap and avocado. But the star of this dish is the peanut dipping sauce.

The kiss roll features escolar – a fish found in deep tropical and temperate waters – tuna, avocado, scallions, asparagus and sesame seeds and is served with fresh ginger and wasabi.

Both rolls were super fresh. Loved the crunchy of the summer roll and the buttery tuna in the kiss roll.

For the main coarse, I had the red massaman curry; my dining companion had the ginger chicken and both dishes came with a side of rice.

My friend, never one to shy from hyberbole, said the ginger dish “awakened the senses.” For me, the red curry was better than most; but not the best I’ve had. And that’s a compliment; if you were wondering.

We skipped uninspired dessert offerings in favor of the Thai iced tea. If you’ve never had it, here’s a quick list of the blend -- east Asian black tea, star anise, cardamom and vanilla bean – and coconut milk.

Thai Sushi by KJ owners are Joe and his wife Kathy, who met when both worked at Sushi-Thai, and Joe was general manager of the local chain until last fall.

From its beginnings last December, Thai Sushi has been a roaring success on Marco Island. With only 1,200 square feet, the dining room features a beautiful wood craving theme that carries over into the tables.

Along with the ubiquitous pad thai, other dishes include fried whole snapper in basil sauce, and Thai curries, available as red, green, Panang and Massaman curry. As the menu states, “all spicy food can be prepared mild, medium, hot or Thai hot.”

Thai Sushi by KJ serves Thai iced tea and coffee, wine and beer, including Singha beer from Thailand. For first class sushi and Thai, this could be your new “pad.”

Additional reporting by Lance Shearer.

If you go

Sushi Thai by KJ

317 N. Collier Blvd., Suite 104, Marco Island

239-970-2625

Hours: 4-10 p.m. Monday-Friday, Noon-10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

All major credit cards accepted